This invention relates generally to the field of electrical connectors and more particularly to an electrical connector assembly having a female contact adapted to receive a male contact.
A variety of electrical connectors are commonly used in the art having conductive contacts that are interconnected for making an electrical connection between the connectors. Typically, one of the connectors has male (pin) contacts and the other connector has female (socket) contacts for receiving the male contacts of the other connector. The female contact and the male contact may be sized for an interference fit so that a secure electrical connection is made when the contacts are interconnected. Relying solely on the interference fit between the male and female contacts is highly dependent on manufacturing tolerances. Therefore, an interference fit can be unreliable in establishing electrical connection between the connectors and is not suitable for all applications, especially those requiring a highly reliable electrical connection.
In order to improve the reliability of the electrical connection of the male and female contacts, closed entry sockets on the female contacts are typically used. A closed entry socket contact limits the size of the mating contact to a predetermined dimension. This is achieved most commonly by a socket contact design that has a hole (opening) cut or formed in the receiving end of the contact. The material from which the hole (opening) is formed is solid and uniform around the entire perimeter of the hole (opening). If the size or orientation of the mating male contact is not correct, the two contacts will not be able to intermate as the receiving end of the socket contact will prohibit the male contact from entering the hole (opening).
The closed entry design may also be provided by a contact having a tubular shroud surrounding spring fingers at the mating end of the socket which are deflected in a radial direction upon insertion of the male contact. After insertion of the male contact, the spring fingers apply a holding force to the male contact making it more difficult for the contacts to disengage. The tubular shroud provides the closed entry feature of this contact design. Such existing closed entry contacts with spring fingers provide a more reliable electrical connection than contacts relying solely on the interference fit between the contacts, but the spring finger contacts are more costly to manufacture.
Another closed entry socket design with improved reliability includes a female contact having a radial opening and a spring clip received around the contact protruding into the radial opening. Typically, the spring clip has a dimple that projects through the radial opening and into a socket providing an interference with a male contact received in the socket. The dimples of this existing design require extensive machining and are spaced a significant distance from the initial point of entry of the male contact requiring a deeper insertion of the male contact before the electrical connection is made. This is undesirable in instances where sequenced electrical connection among mating contacts is required. After numerous intermating cycles over time, the dimples have been found to cause damage to the male contacts at the point of engagement with the dimple necessitating replacement of the contacts.